BANG! Series: The Hidden Curriculum in Academic Hiring
October 30
The Hidden Curriculum in Academic Hiring: What Social Science Research Tells Us and How Early-Career Scholars Can Navigate the Unwritten Rules
Dawn Culpepper (Director of the ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence at UMD)
Abstract: Faculty members, and the academic departments in which they are situated, typically have high levels of autonomy and discretion in searching for and selecting faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. Although academics’ expertise in their field/discipline makes them best situated to evaluate other scholars, decades of social science research also shows that bias, epistemic exclusion, and power dynamics can shape search and selection processes in ways that undermine fairness. In this seminar, Dr. Dawn Culpepper integrates the social science research on faculty hiring with practical experience as a campus leader to provide insights for early-career scholars about how to best navigate complex and often “unwritten” rules in academic hiring. She will also discuss recommendations for how academic departments and programs can design hiring practices and processes that promote fairness and inclusivity for all.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Dawn K. Culpepper is a higher education researcher and practitioner focused on creating inclusive and equitable academic work environments. As the Director of the University of Maryland ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence, she leads faculty development, education and training, advocacy and advising, and research efforts focused on enhancing the climate for faculty success. Dawn’s experience with ADVANCE is grounded in her expertise as a researcher, with work examining faculty hiring, workload, tenure and promotion, and work-life integration; issues in graduate education and postdoctoral training; and organizational change.
PSC 1136 & Zoom link
BANG! Organizers:
Matt Lastovka (he/him)
Jacob Vider (he/him)